Jamón, Jamón

Yippee Jamón Serrano is back on the menu. Don Duende and 3 amigos hoofed it up to the high altitudes of the Alpujarras in the Sierra Nevada to collect some of the Jamónes which have been curing since matanza last winter. I do like a little sliver of Jamón with my dinner, it is sooooooo tender and juicy.

Factoids: Jamón, in general English parlance, refers to a cured ham from Spain. There are two primary types of jamón: Jamón serrano (meaning ham from the sierra or mountains) and Jamón ibérico (ham from the black-coated ibérico pig). The fresh hams are trimmed and cleaned, then stacked and covered with salt for about two weeks in order to draw off excess moisture and preserve the meat from spoiling. The salt is then washed off and the hams are hung to dry for about six months. Finally, the hams are hung in a cool, dry place for six to eighteen months, depending on the climate, as well as the size and type of ham being cured. The drying sheds (secaderos) are usually built at higher elevations, which is why the ham is called mountain ham.